


just like fire

by sleepdeprivedmaniac



Category: fromis_9 (Band)
Genre: AtLA AU, F/F, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, airbenders!hawon, any characters not mentioned in the tags will most likely be guest characters, any ships other than chaesun will show up in tags as they appear, avatar!jiheon, earthbender!gyuri, firebenders!chaesun, hit the subscribe button if you want to be alerted when this updates <3, is this self indulgent? absolutely, kyoshi warrior!romsae, please keep in mind that not all oneshots are created equal, sorry if the top notes seem excessive i just like covering all of my bases, waterbenders!seokko, while i take responsibility for that I will not fault myself for it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26979865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepdeprivedmaniac/pseuds/sleepdeprivedmaniac
Summary: Jisun was always taught that bending was a conduit for the spirit. Fire and air, while grave opposites in temperament, were more similar than most thought. They both have the deepest connection to the spirit, and a bender’s inner chi. Without focus, it sputters, and without a clear mind, fire becomes unrestrained. Dangerous. Deadly. Deadlier.It’s the creed that she’s followed her whole life. But if Jisun is merely a vessel, then Chaeyoung is fire itself.She watches her, not exactly with amazement but never with disinterest. Attentive, but never overly so. Almost every master in the nation had ranked them next to each other, sitting parallel at the top. It had piqued Jisun’s curiosity, because how could she be so similar to someone so fundamentally different?(She had found the answer a long time ago.)alternatively: a chaesun focused fromis atla!au
Relationships: Lee Chaeyoung/Roh Jisun
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	1. 1 AJ - Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> all five of us that are in chaesun nation, this is for y'all
> 
> this will be a collection of oneshots set in the same universe of a fromis avatar au. the way we're keeping track of time is basically just by the dating system that we use irl, BJ being Before Jiheon and AJ being After Jiheon. not before/after she was born, but y'all know what i mean. before chaesun meet jiheon and the rest of team avatar. the whole series takes place post-lok, with jiheon being the next avatar in the cycle. any and all tw/cw's for a chapter will be put in a chapter's notes at the beginning. if they're for some reason not there, feel free to kick my ass about it.
> 
> moving on from that point, while this a general group fic and the oneshots will (hopefully) circle their focus around to most of the members, this is a chaesun centered au (even if it doesn't seem like it at first). if you're curious, go on ahead. if you're like HELL YEAH i hope you enjoy, and if it's not your thing then its not your thing, and that is okay. if someone requests for more attention on a certain member i will take that into account, but not if you're rude about it.
> 
> thank you katie for being my co-captain of chaesun nation, its been an honor. if any of y'all want to yell about Them or the other girls or just the au in general, my twt is @slpdeprived don't be afraid to reach out, I am friendly if you are friendly.
> 
> as always please feel free to comment or leave constructive criticism, I adore comments. hope you guys enjoy!

Finding a firebending teacher has been a lot harder than Jiheon thinks it should be. Don’t get her wrong, she has no issue with being thorough, but the other girls have so many  _ standards _ . 

Gyuri’s long accepted that they’ve all melded together like some child’s artistic monstrosity, so she’s focused on how they mesh with the group. Seoyeon wants someone to chatter at who’ll actually respond, but Nakko doesn’t want them to talk until the end of days (Raava knows she's had enough of that.) Jiwon wants someone knowledgeable and smart, Saerom wants a good fighter for her to spar with in her spare time, and Hayoung...Hayoung just wants someone kind. God bless Hayoung.

Needless to say, whoever her master is is going to be stretched pretty thin.

“What if we hold auditions?” Jiwon suggests. Hayoung yelps beside her as she’s nearly thrown back by her shoulder, caught by the crowded street of the market. “It would be much easier for them to find us than for us to look for them, plus it’ll guarantee that they’re interested."

Gyuri groans, heading towards one of the fruit stalls. “Any old man with any old schtick would want to try and teach the Avatar. It would take ages.”

“I mean it’s not like we have a time limit,” Jiheon says.

“Yes, but do you want to stay in the fire nation for however long that would take?”

Saerom hands the shopkeeper some yuan and picks up a small bag of purple berries. She pops a few into her mouth and shrugs. “Why not? I like it here.”

Gyuri rolls her eyes. “You like every place we go. But it’s not up to you.” Saerom narrows her eyes, sticking out a purple tongue. 

“Well  _ I  _ feel like I’m boiling,” says Nagyung. She scratches at her arms, cursing how the fabric clings to her skin in the heat. “If we stay here any longer I’m going to prune.”

Seoyeon slings an arm around her shoulders, undeterred by the glare she receives in return. “Aww,” she coos, face shifting into a mocking pout, “can our princess not deal with a little heat?”

Nagyung scowls. “You can’t possibly tell me you’re not burning up right now.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny.”

She rolls her eyes and throws her arm off, glancing gratefully at Hayoung for the cool breeze she blows their way.

Jiheon looks towards Gyuri again only to see her still standing at the fruit stall. She rolls her eyes, resting a hand on the older girl’s shoulder. “How about we get some real food instead of you trying to figure out how many apples you can eat without feeling sick?”

Gyuri furrows her brow. “But we just got here.”

“And none of us have had a meal yet. You don’t want to starve your team, do you?”

Her eyes narrow at her over her shoulder. “Technically, this is your team.”

“And technically, you’re the one in charge.” Jiheon turns back to the rest of the group, just as Seoyeon and Nagyung look like they’re about to start bickering again. “Gyuri’s treating us to lunch!” she announces. The other girls cheer while Gyuri sighs tiredly beside her.

They settle on a decently sized noodle shop a few minutes’ walk away from the market. If possible it gets even warmer inside the building, but Jiheon guesses that it’s just because of the heat from the kitchen. The group all look over their menus in silence before Jiheon pipes up. “All I’m saying is that at this point we might as well just go around asking people if they can be my teacher,” she says. Gyuri puts down her menu with a sigh, opening her mouth to say something before Jiwon beats her to it.

“Jiheon you can’t just approach anyone from the fire nation and expect them to be masters, let alone benders.”

She frowns. “Well why not?” The girl glances around the restaurant, finding her sight drawn to two young women eating at a table in the corner. One, auburn-haired and long-faced, gestures around with her chopsticks wildly, clearly illustrating whatever she was talking about. The other was quiet, watching her companion with her elbow on the table and her cheek resting in her hand. Her hair was a darker shade of brown, and only her toes connected to the floor from her chair.

She’s moving before the others can stop her, walking over to their table before clearing her throat. The short woman turns to her first, her eyes somehow foggy and intense at the same time. They remind Jiheon of the clouds before a thunderstorm. She resists the urge to take a step back, just as the other woman stops her narration to look at her. Her eyes are warmer, softer, but the frown growing on her face doesn’t look like it’ll do Jiheon any favors.

“Do you need something?” she asks.

The shorter one rolls her eyes, elbowing her friend in the side. “Chae, that’s the Avatar.”

“Okay Avatar, do you need something?”

She rolls her eyes again, turning back to Jiheon. “Sorry about her, she was raised on a farm--”

Her friend gasps, affronted. “You love that farm!”

“--and she’s cranky. We’ve been up since before dawn.”

Jiheon frowns, but is undeterred. “I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully it’s not too bothersome if I ask you a few questions?”

Curiously, both women furrow their brow before glancing at each other, eyes darkening. “What kind of questions?”

“Jiheon!” she hears Gyuri call from behind her. She sighs and turns around, ready to face the elder’s nagging tirade. Instead she only gets a flick on the forehead, the other earthbender focusing her attention on the two strangers. “I’m sorry, was she bothering y--” Gyuri stops short, blinking a few times before narrowing her eyes. “Jisun?”

The woman--Jisun, apparently--returns her stare. Her eyes fill with recognition before lighting up with glee. “Gyuri?”

Jisun’s friend lifts her hand like a reminder of her presence. She twists her wrist in a small wave. “Chaeyoung.”

Jiheon’s gaze moves between the three of them, brows furrowed. “Jiheon...” she says after a bit, confusion leaking into her voice. Might as well introducer herself.

“What are you doing here?” Gyuri asks. Jisun raises a brow. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

Jiheon chuckles as her friend stammers, shaking her head before correcting herself. “I-I just mean, well, last time we talked you said you were enlisting.”

Both women at the table seem to tense up. Chaeyoung’s fingers grip tightly to her chopsticks as she continues to eat. “I did,” says Jisun. “We’re on leave.”

“Then why aren’t you home? The capital is miles away from here.”

She shrugs. “Wanted to travel.”

Jiheon feels the air getting warmer, beads of sweat threatening to escape from her skin. It cuts through the humidity and almost replaces it with its own heat, like the feeling of sitting in front of a fireplace or a hot oven. She notices Chaeyoung’s leg bouncing under the table, creating quick, sharp vibrations in the floor. A small hand comes to rest atop her knee, and the vibrations start to settle.

“Why are you here?" Jisun asks. "How’s your father?”

Oh, she knows where this is going. Jiheon takes the cue to leave, pulling up a chair for Gyuri and touching her shoulder before silently walking back to the table. The others all put their noses in their bowls as she approaches, pretending that they were eating and not snooping. Only Jiwon continues to look up, staring at the corner table with narrowed eyes and her head tilted slightly. Nagyung pushes her bowl towards her as she takes a seat.

“How does she know her?” Jiwon wonders aloud. Seoyeon looks up, mouth full of noodles.

“Who?”

She turns the other girl’s face with her hand. “Her. That’s Roh Jisun.”

Seoyeon blinks twice before turning back to Jiwon. She swallows before saying, “Who?”

Jiwon’s jaw drops, and Jiheon resists the urge to roll her eyes. Dramatic as always. “Really? No one?” The table gives her empty stares. Sighing, she explains, “She’s the daughter of probably the most decorated Fire Nation general that’s still serving,  _ and _ one of the strongest firebenders that they’ve seen in years. And they’re talking like they’re friends.”

Jiheon shrugs, digging in. “Gyuri’s dad is a general too, maybe they know each other from that.”

Jiwon makes a face. “But she’s  _ Gyuri _ .”

Jiheon turns back to look at the corner table again, watching as Gyuri speaks with her hands and Jisun leans forward with interest. Chaeyoung continues to eat, body tilted towards them in a way that makes it known that she’s listening. “What about the other one?”

The airbender squints, and Jiheon can see a hint of recognition entering her eyes. “Not much. There was a military showcase about a year ago, had a whole festival around it. I remember that there was a lot of anticipation about her and Jisun fighting for champion, but she got beat right before the final match. Jisun won, by the way. No one really knows what she did with the prize money.”

“You think they’re rivals?” Saerom suggests. 

Jiheon thinks back to the way they were curled in towards each other before her interruption, caught in their own little bubble. A calming hand on the knee, familiar jabs and jokes. The fact that they’re traveling  _ together _ , above all. She shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

There’s a sense of finality in her words. The group stops their speculation for now, returning to their bowls. The flavors remind her of home, warm and earthy with just enough heat to entice her to take another mouthful. Gyuri returns to the table moments later, the two other women in tow. 

She notices new things now. Jisun’s short, all of her chi being compressed into a body that barely passes five foot. It shows a bit in how she’s constantly moving, from shifting her weight to the slightest twitches of her fingers. The way she holds herself is infinitely taller than she actually is. 

Chaeyoung’s stony face doesn’t hide the warmth in her eyes very well. She scans the rest of the table in a way that seems uninvasive. Odd, considering what its purpose was. To suss out people, to assess threats. She towers over her companion, takes up more space than probably Jiheon and Gyuri combined. Tall, broad, and strong, judging by the way her muscles flex as she crosses her arms. 

“Jiheon,” Gyuri says, smirking, “I think we’ve found your new firebending teachers.”


	2. 1 AJ - Training

“Just focus Jiheon, you can do it.”

“If I could, don't you think I would’ve done it already?”

Jisun sighs. “Being difficult won’t get you anywhere. Now, look.” 

Gyuri watches as a generous stream of fire emits from Chaeyoung’s fists. The newcomer swings her arms and twists them around her head, extending the flames and pulling them into a rhythmic orbit. Jisun’s eyes don’t leave her until they’re pulled away by Jiheon clearing her throat.

Soft footsteps crunch in the dirt behind her, stopping just before Saerom sits next to her on her log. “How’s it going?” she asks.

“Match her,” Jisun orders. Gyuri winces at the expression on Jiheon’s face, who’s frowning at Chaeyoung as she continues to swing and barely shows fatigue. She’s seen that face many times before from her hotheaded younger friend. Her feet kick up clouds in the dry soil as they shift, anxious to be moving towards Jiheon. Her throat burns in anticipation of use. But she’s not the teacher, not today.

“It’s only their third session,” says Saerom, as an attempt to placate her. Gyuri only sighs in response, letting her know that she’s heard. Not that she wouldn’t just keep going anyways. Saerom’s better at reading people than some of the elders that she knows.

“They’ll have to adjust their training style to her, and she’ll have to learn how to be patient with them. It’ll take some time, but she’ll be fine.” She nudges her softly, meeting her eyes with a charming smile. “Don’t be such a mother hen.”

“I’m not mother-henning!” she protests. She flinches when Jiheon lets out another frustrated grunt, and Saerom gives her a look. “Even if I was...I can’t help it. I thought that fire would be easier for her.”

Saerom hums. “Not exactly. Jiheon’s direct, but not aggressive. Getting fired up from time to time doesn’t necessarily mean that she’ll automatically take to such a volatile element. Once she finds her flow I think she’ll be fine.”

Gyuri huffs and looks back at the clearing, bouncing her leg. “I know.”

She can’t stare at Chaeyoung’s whips too long, so yellow that they’re almost white. Jisun stands between the two benders, arms crossed. She waits patiently as Jiheon emits two small streams from her fists, only for them to dissipate upon her first swing. The younger girl stomps her foot and yells towards the sky, not making eye contact when Jisun moves closer to teach her.

Saerom produces one of her fans and starts to wave it, blowing a gentle breeze towards the both of them. “She’ll be fine,” she repeats.

A large gust of wind comes Gyuri’s other side, causing her hair to whip around her waist. Jiwon drops down next to her with the air to soften her landing, casually brushing back her hair. She watches the clearing for a few moments before asking, “Do you think this is how they learned in the military?”

“Jiwon,” Saerom scolds.

“What? It’s not like they tell us anything, I’m just curious.”

“Is it really our business?” says Gyuri. “They cleared their background check. Whatever other information they want to give up, that’s on them.”

Jiwon turns back around, muttering. “If it were just up to them we’d barely know their names.”

“Try again,” Jisun says in the clearing, naturally sweet-voiced but stern in tone. “We’re not moving on until you get it at least once.” Chaeyoung wipes the sweat from her brow, her tongue slipping out to lick her lips. As if on cue, she begins the motion once again.

Jiheon takes a deep breath, slowing the heaving of her chest. She sits back into her stance, makes light stream from her hands, and pulls. The whips make it around once, twice, and fade into the air smelling like cinder. 

Jiheon’s face pinches up. “Dammit!” She screams, and throws her arm across her body. A stream of flames emit from her fist, and after that Gyuri only sees things in slow motion. Chaeyoung standing straight up, getting caught in the crossfire, a whip coming across and striking her on her cheek. Jiheon’s face drops as Chaeyoung shouts and stumbles back, covering the left side of her face. The three viewers all rise and rush towards the clearing, but Jisun’s at her side within a second.

“Let me see,” she coaxes, trying to pull Chaeyoung’s hand away from her cheek.

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” she says.

“No you’re not, it hurts like a bitch. Let me see.”

Her tone leaves no room for argument. Chaeyoung sighs before dropping her hand and turning her head to the left. A sharp, bright red line stretches horizontally from just above the corner of her lip to the end of her brow, small curls of smoke emitting from it.

“I told you I’m fine,” she says. Jisun pokes the burn and watches as she flinches.

“You’re such a bad liar.”

“Am not!”

“See? Terrible,” Jisun says with a growing grin. Feeling eyes on them, she lets the smile fall before turning around. Jiheon shifts her weight, looking at Chaeyoung’s face with a guilty expression. The other three are just staring curiously. Jisun feels the hairs on her arms rise and shifts uncomfortably under the attention.

Chaeyoung steps forward, one hand raised. “I’m fine, I’ve had worse.” Jisun sees Gyuri flinch, and Saerom nods imperceptibly. “Good job kid, we just have to work on sustaining it longer before we get into practical application.”

Jiheon furrows her brow, tilting her head. “But I hurt you?”

“You did, and that’ll be the only time once we get to sparring.” Jisun rolls her eyes and elbows her side, causing her to yelp. She sighs and brings up a hand, fingertips cooling to soothe the burn. Smoke begins to curl out of her other hand, hanging limp by her side. “Seriously though, I’m fine. We’ll call it a day, I’ll get Nagyung to heal me, it’ll all be good.”

Jiheon still looks skeptical. “Are you sure?”

Chaeyoung rolls her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it was an accident.”

“If we don’t go soon it’ll scar,” Jisun whispers beside her, and Chaeyoung nods. She lets the smaller woman take her hand and start the slow pull to get her walking.

“We’ll see you at lunch!”

The others watch as the four of them leave, the only sound being from creatures of the forest and thumping footsteps. Gyuri’s eyes start to water from the residual heat.

“I thought that would go differently,” Jiwon admits. Gyuri finds herself humming in agreement, along with Jiheon.

Saerom sighs, fanning herself once more. “I told you they weren’t scary.”

“Well you try keeping that in mind when you have a five foot tall woman in your face!”

Jiwon snorts. “Wouldn’t that make her less scary?”

Gyuri frowns, turning towards her. “I think you’re forgetting that you’re also five feet tall.” After a beat, Jiwon scowls and blows a strong gust of air towards Gyuri. She sinks her feet into the ground, letting it blow by. Three small balls of dirt come up from the ground, circling above her palm as she raises a brow. Jiwon pales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember that comments and constructive criticism is always welcome, and I hope y'all enjoyed


	3. 4 BJ - Wounds

Jisun doesn’t like having to play medic. She’s good at it, don’t get her wrong, but that doesn’t necessarily make it enjoyable. She’s watched her mother redress the hurriedly patched wounds of her father, and later her brother, and only by sheer will has she managed to never see most of Jisun’s scars. But that comes with the life of a soldier, she guesses. Baring your pain--willingly or otherwise--to the ones you love so that they can mend it and kiss it and make it all better again.

Jisun has learned to patch her own wounds.

She kisses Chaeyoung’s scars like her lips are painted over, every touch making the white lines and dots fade back into her skin. She speaks small nothings into her knuckles, sometimes cramped from tape but usually red and raw. Cool hands soothe any foreign lingering heat, which clings like a stubborn itch and waits to pop out until after adrenaline has exhausted itself. 

Chaeyoung turns to her as small, strong fingers daintily trace around an ovular red mark on her lower back. She kisses her in the way only she knows how. Just as Chaeyoung’s thoughts are clear to the barely focused eye, Jisun reads her lips like a children’s book. A kiss for passion, pressing with fire burning behind her lips. A kiss for comfort, soft and slow, passing messages between them. Kisses of spontaneity are especially cute, usually short and quick but leaving a warm tingle behind every time. Years ago, they would both blush like schoolchildren and carry on with the rest of their day like they held a secret. The secret of a moment, she supposes it was. Of shared emotion, of excitement, of bravery, of the butterflies in her stomach that had barely settled hours later. Chaeyoung still turns red sometimes, and just for that Jisun kisses her again.

This kiss is for silence, like she could sense the thoughts circling at high speeds in her mind. Contrarily, it was only focused on one thing. Not a thought, but a feeling nudging at the back of her mind as she touched smooth skin and danced away from the parts that were already beginning to wrinkle. But perhaps Chaeyoung felt that, too. 

A warm hand slips under her shirt to rub circles into her hip, and Jisun melts into her lover with a groan. She thanks the spirits that they have this time to be alone. Usually they find it in the cracks and shadows of camp, or on the outskirts where the stars are brighter. In the barracks, they don’t feel like a secret (and they’re not, necessarily. If anyone asks they both know that they’ll answer honestly. The key, though, is that no one asks.)

Jisun chases her lips when she pulls away, nudging the tip of her nose. Her hand continues to make circles, and her fingertips toe the line of a dangerous heat. The kind that they deal with everyday, that emits from their fists as easy as clouds release water. She briefly thinks of a white hot flame, and shivers. 

“It was a cheap shot,” says Jisun, like it’s an explanation. Chaeyoung nods. She feels her hand twitch of her skin, like it longed to go touch the wound. 

“It was.”

“I’m going to kill him,” she decides.

Chaeyoung hums. “No you’re not.”

Jisun feels her chi begin to flow faster through her veins. A telling energy thrums beneath her skin, pooling at her fingertips. “He’s been doing this kind of stuff since we’ve gotten here.”

“And he will continue to, because he’s jealous and confused and feels that he has something to prove. The rest of them stopped as soon as they knew what I could do.”

Jisun scoffs. “Yeah, and now they just shoot you dirty looks all the time.” She looks down to where Chaeyoung’s fingers begin to tangle with hers. “We could burn them all to the ground.”

The younger tilts her head. “Oddly homicidal today, aren’t we?” Jisun shrugs. She sighs. “We could, but we won’t. Because they don’t really deserve it, and you’d be setting a bad reputation for yourself. And also I don’t want to.”

Jisun shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “The number of times that the masters have said you’re too soft for the military…”

“And yet here I am.” Her eyes soften, warm and open as they stare into Jisun’s steely ones. “And here you are, too.”

She snorts. “I don’t like that I’m here.”   


“I know.”   


“It’s only because of you,”   


“I  _ know _ .” For a moment, a shadow casts on Chaeyoung’s face. She glances down at the crevice between their bodies. Jisun can almost see the connections she’s making, one that’s been made a hundred times before.  _ Where I go, destruction follows. She’s unhappy because of me. _

Jisun lifts her chin, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of her lips. “But it’s not your fault,” she says. “I made a choice, one of the few real choices that I’ve ever made. And I stand by it. I stand by you, for however long we’re together.”

Chaeyoung kisses with promise. With indescribable expression, to make up for the words her clumsy tongue lacks. She pulls back too soon, with eyes too open and warm hands still on her hips. Tenderly, she presses in, and Jisun hisses. In chocolate pools she sees what she’s seen in many men: the need for absolution. “May I?” Chaeyoung requests quietly.

Jisun nods, wordlessly lifting her shirt. Arguably she has less wounds than Chaeyoung, but that’s only because of years of training and a stubbornness that had wormed its way into an excellent fighting style. But her cuts are older, and the bruises that have faded beneath her skin are innumerable. Some parts of her skin are stained a permanent pink from too close encounters with flame, others wrinkled in a way that’s only shown to those who know. Richer families get better access to better care, after all.

Chaeyoung takes her time, kissing spots that will never fully heal and mumbling love into her bones. Jisun sighs with every touch, feels the tension leave her muscles, and wonders if her mother had ever been on this side of it too.


	4. 1 AJ - Sharing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> takes place a couple months after chapter 1

Chaeyoung holds Jisun tight to her chest as the wind curls around them, pulling the blanket closer around her lover’s shoulders. After months on the ground, in barracks and in bootcamps and now with this lot, the silence of the sky is discomforting. It is nice to have that sort of pure quiet, only augmented by Luma’s occasional snorts and the sound of the air whipping around her ears. But it doesn’t do anything to relive her apparent insomnia, caused by being too far off the ground than her nature prefers.

She slows her already relaxed breathing, focusing her chi more towards her core. Jisun whimpers and shifts against her, unconsciously attempting to burrow closer to the concentrated warmth. Chaeyoung chuckles as the top of her head butts against her chin, bringing a hand up to stroke her hair. Staring off into the night sky, she softly begins to sing.

It’s nothing but a lullaby, long and languid and sweet. She winces every time her voice cracks, unpracticed. Smooth middle tones fall from her lips, entering the atmosphere and drifting away with the wind before they can linger.

It’s an old song, one that her grandmother had sang to her mother, and her mother had sang to the three of them. Hyein’s favorite, about a tall tree that withstood many disasters because of its long roots in the ground. It’s strong connection with the earth.

It had used to be her favorite too.

“I didn’t know you sang,” Seoyeon rasps across from her. She stops at the first syllable, looking up at the girl who’s rolling herself up into a sitting position. Jisun  whines, and she hums long and low to replace the feeling. She never really knew why the elder likes this, something about the vibrations maybe. (Her father had tried teaching her about the vibrations in the earth one day, and when she could only hear the squirrels and birds in the trees they had declared her a nonbender. Whoever decided that small comfort to be a lie is still, in her eyes, needlessly cruel.)

She shakes her head. “Not very often. I’m not very good.”

Seoyeon snorts as she rubs at her eyes. “You’re good enough,” she says. After a second she asks, “Which one was that, I don’t think I’ve heard it before?”

“It’s a lullaby from the Earth Kingdom,” she answers casually. Realizes then that this only opens up for more questions when Seoyeon’s curious gaze is paired with furrowed brows.

“Did you hear it during your travels?”

“I was born there, actually. Lived in a small village off of a trading route until I was 13.”

She watches as Seoyeon slowly puts the pieces together, sees the lightbulb go off in her head with a small nod. “Oh,” she says simply. Then, with a wince, “So you’re...”

She nods, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. Hopes that her new friend doesn’t push any further. Talking about the tension between her dual heritage is difficult enough as it is.

“Gyuri introduced you both as being from the Fire Nation,” Seoyeon points out.

“She did.”

“You didn’t correct her.”

“I was busy with other things.”

Seoyeon tilts her head, raising a brow. “You were standing still right in front of me, what were you doing?”

“What I’ve been taught,” she answers. Upon further prompting, she sighs. “I was measuring. Chi levels, threat analysis. How much information we should give you.”

Seoyeon stares at her blankly. She shrugs. “It’s a bad habit.”

Chaeyoung decides that she doesn’t want to talk about this anymore. As her friend’s mouth opens again for another question, she beats her to it, taking control of the conversation. “What about you? Do you only know songs from the South Pole?” Seoyeon’s eyes light up, and she knows she hit the jackpot.

“I know all kinds! Mostly southern, but Nakko taught me some northern ones too when we were kids. Jiwon and Hayoung have been teaching me some from the air temples, although they’re mostly hymns. Some of the new ones from Republic City have been stuck in my head lately.” She chuckles before glancing down, rubbing at the back of her neck. “I have to admit, I don’t know much from either of your parts.”

Chaeyoung thinks she’s only talking about her for a second, until Jisun shifts again against her chest. “I can teach you one, if you’d like?” she offers. Seoyeon’s face lights up again, and she nods excessively.

She starts to hum it first, before beginning to sing in slightly higher tones than before. The words aren’t as smooth, mostly strong consonants and clipped vowels. It’s one of the first that Jisun taught her, about a girl who sat alone in the snow. She discovered a box of matches in her dress, and lit a small flame. It made her warm, and she stuck it in the ground. Then she lit another match, and another, and another, until a myriad of small flames sat around her in the snow. And she was no longer cold.

It’s a short song, with many repeats. After a verse or two, she gestures for Seoyeon to follow her. Their voices join together in the cool air, ever so often accompanied by warm chuckles when she gets a word wrong. And they sing, and sing, and Jisun hums contentedly against her. Her heart warms with the pleasure of memory.

“Music is a huge part of culture, yknow,” Seoyeon says after the song has ended. Chaeyoung nods.

“I know.”

Silence rests between them. Luma huffs again, sending a vibration through below them.

“Thank you for sharing with me,” Seoyeon says.

Chaeyoung smiles softly. “No problem.”


	5. 7 BJ - The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't remember if I established ages but the age differences are all the same as irl. here chaesun are 13 and 15 respectively.

Nine days after joining the academy (nine suns, ten moons, twenty-five meals later), Chaeyoung lags behind the rest of her peers filing into the mess hall as her leaden limbs threaten to sink through the floor. She doesn’t know what’s on the menu today, only that it’s slightly distinguishable from yesterday’s lunch. Rice, water, and bits of whatever animal they had chopped up for protein that day swirling in a dark, barely salted broth. She doesn’t like to linger on how, a few days ago, she saw some of the higher ranked students getting duck and chicken that had steam curling high off the tray.

When it’s her turn to step up at the back of the line, she flashes an easy smile at the cook. He barely spares her a glance, pushing the tray at her before turning to do something else. Or maybe just take his break, she was the last in line. She grabs it with a croaked word of thanks, heading towards her usual table in the corner. The stew sloshes over the bowl too easily as she walks, like she was carrying water. 

Chaeyoung sighs. She misses her mom’s cooking.

The muscles in her thighs cry out in insubordination when she gingerly takes her seat, her shoulders aching as she hunches forward and takes a hold of her spoon, leaning her head against her palm. She takes one bite of the stew, grimaces at the lukewarm taste now on her tongue, and immediately digs into her rice. It’s still a little cold, but not too bad. 

She almost feels her before she sees her, the perk of growing up around earthbenders. Small, light footsteps from behind her making their way towards her table. Chaeyoung shovels a large spoonful of rice into her mouth before dropping her head, staring down at the table. She almost chokes when she sees Roh Jisun approaching out of the corner of her eye.

“Can I sit here?” she asks. Her voice is strong despite the softness of her tone, sweet like a moon peach. Chaeyoung can imagine her singing lullabies as much as leading armies. She gives a small, singular nod, her nose barely brushing the edge of her bowl. The intruder sits across from her in silence, watching with interest as Chaeyoung takes slow, cautious bites. 

She’s found herself staring at Jisun more than she’d like to admit, only to quickly look away at the slightest sign of the other girl noticing that she’s being watched. Then again, she’s probably used to it. She’s one of the older girls that the masters commonly use for demonstrations in the yard, probably the top student in the academy (and she only says probably because they haven’t posted rankings yet.) The image of strength and control packed into a body that could easily tuck under Chaeyoung’s chin, if she got close enough. Her hair rests over her shoulder in its usual neat braid, toned arms left bare by her uniform to accommodate the mid-summer heat. Her stormy, focused eyes stand out among the warm tones of the dining hall, the blacks of their uniforms and the orange glow cast by the lights scattered around. Eyes that are focused on  _ her _ . 

Chaeyoung takes a shaky breath before sticking another small bite in her mouth.

She waits for it, the muttered insults or the accusatory questions or the scoff of disappointment. The stuff like what she hears as she passes through the halls and shuffles to her place in the yard. They’re just curious, is all. Curious about how this long-limbed, unpracticed Earth Kingdom girl sneaked her way into their ranks, and why she gets extra lessons with the masters, and how long she’ll fare before she remembers her place and leaves. 

If the words come at all, it's not from her. Jisun continues to watch her eat, peering at her in a way that’s not unkind. Chaeyoung pouts when her chopsticks hit the bottom of the bowl, and debates sacrificing her dignity to eat the little grains that got stuck to the sides. 

“Heat it up a little,” Jisun suggests suddenly, and Chaeyoung’s head snaps up.

“I’m sorry?” she squeaks, heat rising to her cheeks at the way her voice breaks. Jisun doesn’t do more than crack a small smile--open, friendly, encouraging.

“Not too much, you don’t want to burn your tongue,” she continues. “But it tastes better hot. Not by a lot, but it’s a bit more bearable.”

She considers it for a second. The action runs through her mind step by step: feeling the cool ceramic in her hands, releasing the dam on her chi and letting it flow free like the river by her home, seeing smoke start to curl up from her bowl before setting it down, letting the waves of heat recede.

Someone at the table behind them laughs just a bit too loud. It rings through the mess hall and Chaeyoung flushes, curling her hands into fists and squeezing them between her thighs. “I can’t.”

Jisun can’t hide the slight furrow in her brow, the way her lips twitch the tiniest bit towards the ground. First reactions are hard to disguise. “You can’t?” she repeats. Once again, not unkindly.

_ Not without setting the entire hall on fire, _ she thinks, and silently shakes her head. She drops her chin, preparing herself for the coming onslaught. She might’ve not said anything at first, but that was always subject to change. And of course it will, as the assumptions come and the insults just barely hidden as questions. How she managed to join the academy when she could barely muster a spark. But it’s not that, it’s never been that. It’s the control, because she doesn’t create sparks when she snaps, her palms abruptly grow aflame like the hand lighters that her mom uses. Because she can’t feel the heat of her chi move languidly through her palms without compulsively creating streams of fire. Because, as she’s been told, her flame glows brighter than the fire nation has seen in centuries.

(She was just a girl from the Earth Kingdom. She was only supposed to be a girl from the Earth Kingdom.)

“Here,” she hears, only a second before small hands wrap around her bowl. Seconds later, steam starts to emanate from the broth. She looks up, and Jisun’s eyes are soft as she sets it back down on her tray. Looking more like the clouds of night than those of the storm. “Try it now.”

Chaeyoung eyes the bowl warily before glancing up again. Jisun’s eyes are harder now, a little urging. A little hopeful. She sighs, only a bit on the dramatic side before picking up a spoonful, quickly blowing on it before taking a bite. She sets the spoon down, smacking her lips as the taste soaks into her tongue before she swallows. Another glance up. Jisun’s still watching, if not a little impatiently. After a moment she tilts her head imperceptibly, a playful glint appearing in her eye. Chaeyoung mirrors it, shrugging. “It’s okay.”

Jisun copies her, in this strange game of back and forth. “Can’t say I didn’t try,” she says as a smile creeps onto her face. Chaeyoung doesn’t have a fraction of the tact, her own face exploding into a grin. 

“Thank you,” says Chaeyoung. She feels far too much in debt for the few minutes that they’ve been in conversation. It goes unsaid, all that she’s thanking her for. At the bottom of the list is that stupid stew.

Jisun does another small movement, inclining her head in acknowledgement. Then she leans forward, cheek pillowed in her palm with the corner of her lips still stretched into a smile. “Tell me about yourself,” she requests.

And Chaeyoung does.   



	6. 3 BJ - Connections

“Y’know, back before I was an officer I used to think your pops would always take me on these trips to mess with me.” Heeyeon shivers through her slight, nostalgic smile, unsubtly leaning closer to the fire. “Now I’m absolutely sure.”

Jisun chuckles. She doesn’t have to imagine a smaller, fresher faced Heeyeon hunched around an open flame; her father was still stealing her away from the academy for these little excursions when the older woman first joined his battalion. It was nice to have another girl around that was closer to her age. The petty soldiers he brought were always men, and any female officers were well past their twenties. One of the earth kingdom generals was the only one to also bring his child, a daughter a year older than her, but that was only some of the time. But Heeyeon was sweet, and funny, and had a soft spot for the inconsequential mischief that Jisun would plot behind her father’s back. She always did regret not keeping in touch during her later years at the academy, but now they’re in the same company. Serendipity truly is a gift.

“All these years and you’re still not used to it?” Jisun quips. Heeyeon glares at her, flames curling from her mouth with a puff of air. Chaeyoung doesn’t make a peep to her right, hunched over in her lotus position and looking into the heart of the fire like her stare could bore it’s way through. Jisun watches her out the corner of her eye, mouth dipping into a frown with each moment of continued silence.

“We only come here once a year, sue me for not adjusting my body temperature like the tribes. And we can’t all be born cold-blooded like you.”

Jisun rolls her eyes and draws in some long breaths, humming as the heat spreads through her core.

“And then there’s that one,” Heeyeon says, gesturing to the right side of her periphery. “You can’t tell me you’re not freezing, kid.”

Chaeyoung’s head snaps up, flames licking against her chocolate orbs in a way that makes Jisun warm without breathing fire. “Lieutenant?”

Heeyeon points straight at her chest. “You. Cold.” She gestures across her throat, swiping a flat hand back and forth. “Nothing?”

Chaeyoung flushes, but she doesn’t shiver. Her teeth don’t chatter when she speaks, and her shoulders are bare besides their thermal armor. Jisun curls her blanket tighter around her, scooting closer. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” she mumbles. With a pointed glance towards Heeyeon and the other soldier with them, she turns back to Chaeyoung. “Just hold me.”

The younger shifts without a word, unfolding her legs to move behind her. The second her chest connects with her back Jisun feels a resounding warmth move through her, traveling through her chest and up her spine, ridding of the stiffness at her fingers. It wraps around her with Chaeyoung’s arms and legs, a sort of swelter that would make her sweat any other day but only makes her goosebumps sink back into her skin. She sighs with relief, leaning back into the embrace. Chaeyoung’s chin comes to rest on her shoulder pad with a small thud.

The steam curling out of Chaeyoung’s nose is white and thick, sustaining in the air for seconds longer than it should. She makes a silent game of finding shapes in it, hearts, stars, noodle bowls, the occasional turtle duck. Then her heater makes a small grunt, untangling for a second to adjust and hide her face in her neck. Her breath flows onto Jisun’s nape with long, warm streams, the hints of unformed flames licking the tiny hairs there to a singe. Jisun remembers, a recall that travels from her heart, that the masters used to say that she had dragon fire. Strong, bright, endless. So connected to her spirit that they should fear for what could happen if it were ever extinguished. She can’t imagine a world where that would exist.

“You two are adorable,” Heeyeon coos. Chaeyoung nuzzles further into her neck as she nudges the soldier beside her. “Aren’t they cute Kim?”

Mingyu’s eyes flick around, tanned cheeks flushing at the unexpected attention. “Ah, I don’t really get involved with the affairs of my coworkers.”

“Is it really ‘getting involved’ if they advertise it all over camp?” Jisun wishes something more dignified than a squeak leaves her throat, and the lieutenant turns towards her with a raised brow. “Please, it’s so obvious that there’s at least _something_ going on between you two. All someone has to do is pay enough attention. And I’ve known you since you were twelve Jisun, I know how you are with your things.”

She quickly feels her face heating up, only intensifying when Chaeyoung lifts her head to give her an amused look. “‘Your things’ huh?”

“That’s not—no—“ Chaeyoung’s lips curve into a smile, and while she’s grateful for the distraction that her friend has provided her, she still shoots a glare at the older woman. “Screw you Heeyeon.”

Heeyeon brings an offended hand to her chest, jaw dropping dramatically. Chaeyoung draws back to kiss behind her ear. “Don’t be mad that she’s right, panda lily,” she murmurs. Jisun can’t help the smile that starts to grow, thinking back to home-cooked meals and the rich smell of the earth, Chaeyoung squatting in the garden in a simple set of shirt and trousers as a dog sits patiently at her heels. Another kiss, and she’s back to the icy floor of the North Pole. “If you want me to be yours you just have to ask.”

Jisun furrows her brow. “I have asked. Haven’t I?” At the silence she gets in response, she turns to see Chaeyoung biting the inside of her cheek. “Haven’t I?”

Chaeyoung shrugs. “I mean you never really needed to.”

“You didn’t even properly ask the girl out?” Heeyeon says. “Damn kid, I thought I taught you better than that.”

Jisun whips toward her, pointing a stiff finger. “You, shut up.”

“It’s alright Lieutenant, some things just slip the mind,” Chaeyoung replies, her voice dipping down with the tone of dejection. But her eyes grow bright and a smirk slips onto her face, a look that only spells trouble for Jisun. She huffs.

“It didn’t slip the mind, it just—look, you even said it wasn’t necessary!”

“But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have appreciated it. You’re the closest thing I have to a first relationship, you know.” Great, now the lip is poking out. Mingyu, as uninvolved in others’ affairs as he is, watches on with amusement. 

She opens her mouth to respond before pausing, catching onto a small detail. “What do you mean ‘the closest thing?’”

“Well you haven’t officially asked me out, have you?”

Jisun blinks at her. She returns to her senses when Heeyeon starts to laugh, feels her lover’s grin against her cheek as her head falls forward. She covers her face with her hands, groaning. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Aww kid, don’t be mad that your girl and your only friend are getting along,” Heeyeon jokes. Chaeyoung nods, nose brushing the side of her head with the motion.

“Lieutenant Ahn means well.”

Jisun sighs, letting her hands drop. “I know,” she says. Guiding her by the chin, she pulls her in for a chaste kiss. Chaeyoung hums into it, curling closer around her. She pulls back when she hears the other two cooing, scowling at Heeyeon. “And you’re not my only friend!”

Heeyeon crosses her arms. “Oh really? Name another one.”

She reflexively glances at Mingyu before realizing she doesn’t know much about him, despite being in only the year below at the academy. She almost brings up Gyuri, but truthfully she hasn’t gotten a letter from her in over a year. As she cycles through the academy and the town, a frown grows on her face. She stares at Heeyeon, looks back at a watchful Chaeyoung, and returns to glare at Heeyeon. “I hate you.”

“You missed me,” Heeyeon replies without missing a beat, winking. “On the bright side, they say the best relationships come from friendship.”

Jisun gives her the finger as Chaeyoung presses another kiss to her jaw.


	7. 4 BJ - Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! it actually hasn't been as long since i've updated as i thought it has but i still just want to make it noted that i am a full time uni student and we're only just starting the semester so if i don't update for a while it's bc i've gotten busy and not because i've abandoned this fic until i explicitly say so. I don't know how many people are following this but i just wanted to make that clear. 
> 
> also if you're wanting to see the other girls more have no fear!! i have ideas that are centered around the rest of them, they just need to be written out first. this chapter specifically is just a little stopgap. I am having a little trouble thinking of situations where I can write the whole ensemble and not just a select 2-4 characters, so if you have any prompts or suggestions please comment them below!! I can't make any promises but it would really help me keep this puppy running.
> 
> finally, idk if i established ages before but at 0 AJ the girls are all the same ages that they are irl by the end of 2020. so 97s are 23, 98s are 22, 00s are 20, jiheon is 17. this chapter is chaeyoung's 16th birthday

“Shhh! Be quiet!”

"I am quiet, you be quiet!”

The voices cut off abruptly, leftover sound sinking into the walls as the heavy footsteps of a monitor passes by the door. The glow of his lantern slips through the gap underneath the door, slanting further and further to the left before it disappears completely. Jisun releases the breath she was holding, removing her hand from Chaeyoung’s mouth before the younger gets half the mind to lick it. Chaeyoung huffs, narrowing her eyes.

“You didn’t have to do that you know, I was already quiet.”

Jisun shrugs. “Insurance,” she says, and leans down to once again rest her head on Chaeyoung’s chest. Her heart is still trying to slow its beats beneath her ear, revealing her worry as the gaps between get longer and longer. Chaeyoung slings an arm around her shoulders.

“This is so stupid,” she says, low voice rumbling in her chest. “You’re just going to have to wake up early to sneak out anyways.”

“I’ll have you know that an idea of mine has never been ‘stupid’.”

Chaeyoung shrugs. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Jisun kicks her ankles. Not very hard, and more like a paw at them. Chaeyoung still squeaks anyways, causing Jisun to instinctively reach up to cover her mouth. She grabs the smaller hand by the wrist, instead pressing a light kiss to the heel of her palm. Jisun snatches it back, tucking a closed fist against her chest like it’s a secret. “Loser,” she mutters. Chaeyoung only chuckles.

The clock ticks pointedly on the side table, only a few minutes away from midnight. Jisun watches as the hand twitches past every dash, Chaeyoung’s own making sweeping motions in rhythm on her back. The other girl stares at the moonlight peeking through her thin drapes, nothing in her line of sight except the stars surrounding where the crescent should be. When she was younger, she and her sisters would sit outside way past their bedtimes, counting the stars and giving them names outside of their constellations. One night they stayed out until the sky burned orange with the start of sunrise, and Papa had found them all sleeping in the tall grass of the backyard. He took herself onto his hip and ushered her sisters to bed with calloused hands on their backs, silently promising not to tell their mother.

They ended up naming a star after him too. The biggest one.

“Chaeyoung,” Jisun calls gently. She doesn’t ask where she went when she looks down, only rises onto her elbow and lifts up a single, lit finger. “Make a wish.”

She glances at the clock. It’s thirty seconds past twelve. “Why do all of this?” she asks. Jisun’s finger silently extinguishes as she furrows her brow. “I mean, I know this isn’t much. Staying up late, spending the night together, it’s all nice. But why for this birthday, specifically, and not the others? Is it because we’re…” she fumbles for the word, not quite yet wanting to define what this was. They haven’t really talked about it, simply falling into each other’s arms like it was second nature. “...different now?”

Jisun bites her lip, looking down and fiddling with the hem of Chaeyoung’s sleep shirt. “I guess I just...I just wanted to have something nice. To look back on once everything changes.”

Chaeyoung hums. she looks back towards her window, pensive. If she uses her imagination, the largest star glows brighter than all the others. “Not everything will change,” she says.

“Of course it will,” Jisun scoffs. “We’ll both pass exams with flying colors, get recruited, probably get split up, and then--”

“No.”

Jisun’s head snaps up at her, brows knitted even tighter together. “No?”

Warm hands come to rest on her cheeks, thumbs brushing away the wrinkles in her forehead. “Everything changed when I made the decision to come here,’ says Chaeyoung softly. “When I left my home, and my family, and my friends to...to try and make something of myself because I didn’t feel that I belonged back there anymore. And I can understand why you feel so afraid of this now. Nothing’s ever changed for you. You’ve grown up here, you’ve always gone to this school, you’ve always known what you wanted and what you were meant to—or not to—do. Hell, the most intrusive thing in your life was probably me dropping into it with no idea how to throw a punch and an uncontrollable inferno at my fingertips.”

Jisun snorts quietly before her head starts to drop, stopped by cupped fingers that gently lift up her chin. Chaeyoung looks at her with warmth burning through those chocolate eyes, like it’s won over anything else that threatened to burn beside it. She thinks that’s the only way the younger manages to become resolute about things, to act as if she knows with absolute certainty. Let the fire of her will burn away the doubts and the options, the possible outcomes that Jisun will mull over until the moment has long passed. Let it consume everything except her heart and her body, and move like it’s all that she has in her.

“Things will be different,” she admits, then bobs her head around like it’s an idea to be toyed with. “But not everything. Because you’ll still have me. I promise.”

Jisun closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, feeling it shudder through her lungs and inside her rib cage. She lights up her finger again, lifting it up just as she opens her eyes. “Just make the wish, Chaeyoung.”

Chaeyoung doesn’t wish. Instead, she prays to the spirits that she doesn’t have to break her promise before blowing out their makeshift candle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> halfway convinced to stop using the proper official titles and just start saying stuff bc this 1-2 word standard is kinda hard sfjghfsdhs

**Author's Note:**

> remember that comments and constructive criticism is always welcome, and I hope y'all enjoyed


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